[Governor Ali Roba during a past Jubilee meeting] [Photo/youtube.com]
Since taking power as the governor of Mandera County, Mr Ali Roba has been a man under siege. The county has witnessed several attempts on its governor’s life with failure. There have more than three attempts where his motorcade has been attacked leading to several people losing their lives.
His security detail has taken the highest casualty with the recent attack where one of the vehicle in the convoy ran over an improvised explosive device (IED) blowing up and killing all its five occupants. This included the governor’s personal bodyguard.
All the attacks have been pointed towards the Al Qaeda linked Al Shabaab but there is more than what meets the eye. Many believe it could be an art of terrorism however political and business rivalry could not be ruled out.
It is believed that the Governor has become unpopular among his business and political rivalries, some who were his friends before he took power. The governor is accused of being a betrayer after he turned his back against an agreed power sharing deal. He had agreed to serve one term as a governor and step down but he back tracked on the deal which has made many to be bitter with him.
Ambassador Mohamud Saleh, the North Eastern regional coordinator attests that business rivalry could be one of the causes of disharmony in the region.
“The use of terror tactics by business rivals is a new phenomenon in the county,” he said, adding that the July 2015 quarry attack where 14 quarry workers lost their lives could have been due to business rivalries.
“Quarries are a lucrative business. Devolution has come with a construction boom. So rival quarry owners may have set each other up,” Salah said.